


Ride the Sun Away

by pandorabox82



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:46:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7071742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/U - After Harry leaves Severus to go defeat Voldemort, Severus takes charge of his life once more, saving himself and going back to the one place he knows he can find sanctuary and not be kept in the constant spotlight that infamy can bring. But will living life as a Muggle lead to something that he had never thought was possible?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness, and his hand fumbled for the bezoar that he had tucked in his pocket, just in case a situation like this had ever arisen. It was his backdoor option, his way out of the wizard world that had rejected him, branded him as traitor. Finally, his fingers closed around the life-saving stone and he popped it into his mouth, waiting for it to take effect.

As he felt himself begin to regain strength, Severus placed his right hand tightly over the place where Nagini had bitten him. When he had finally gained enough strength, he focused on the healing words that would close his wound and completely heal him. In the chaos of the final battle, no one noticed him slipping away. Giving one last look to the place he had once called home, he shook his head and apparated to Spinner's End.

The house was quiet and empty, perfect for his needs. Stripping off his torn and dirty robes, he tossed them into the fireplace, starting a fire with his wand. Then he collapsed on the dusty couch and fell into a troubled sleep.

When he woke up in the morning, every inch of his body ached. Groaning, he pushed himself up into a seated position, burying his face in his hands. The first order of business would be to take a shower and wash the grime and gore of the previous day off him. "Merlin's beard, this is going to be awful," he murmured as he stumbled upstairs to the bathroom. Muggle technology was so inefficient, but he couldn't afford to use magic. He was bound and determined to live life as a Muggle, no matter how mundane it might be.

After the shower, he was feeling a little more human, a little more alive, and he went to his bedroom. Opening the closet, he pulled out a crisp white shirt and a pair of black trousers, before going over to the dresser and grabbing out boxers and socks. Getting dressed was a challenge, as his body was determined to remind him that he was still injured from the battle, even if he had fixed the wound on his neck.

Severus went down to the kitchen and found absolutely nothing more than tea in his cupboards. His first order of business today would be stocking his pantry. Brewing a pot of tea, he drank a cup as he read the paper, catching up on what was happening in the Muggle, no in his, world. He was distressed by all the turmoil that seemed to be commonplace out here and folded the paper, setting it aside.

Finishing his cup, he rummaged around for the money he had stored away in the cookie jar, for use in just such a life-changing event as the one he'd just been through. He walked down the street to the corner market and picked up some essentials, including more tea, some milk, and bread. "Did you find everything you were looking for, Sir?" a too perky clerk asked him and he nodded curtly. She seemed not to take the hint as she began to go on and on about the glorious weather they were having, despite the call for thunderstorms, and how everyone just seemed to be in an extraordinary good mood.

He tried to be polite, knowing that his former persona would do him no good in this world. "Thank you, have a nice day," he finally said, taking his bags from her hands and beginning the trek home. When he got there, he packed away the food and then went back into the living room, collapsing on the couch. Maybe he needed to sleep again, and with that thought, he trudged upstairs and crawled beneath the covers.

His sleep, this time, was far from dreamless, and he welcomed the visions of him and Lily talking on the banks of the lake, laughing at some joke she had just made. It was a happy memory, one he had suppressed long ago, and he felt a certain amount of peace settle about his soul as he listened to her voice. _Be happy, Sev. Thank you for saving Harry._ He nodded and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek softly.

When he woke up, there were tears on his cheeks. He hated crying, his father had made certain of that, and so he swiped his cheeks free of the offending tears. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was past five and he had slept most of the day away. Still exhausted, he ignored his grumbling stomach and stumbled off to the head before washing his hands and then going back to bed.

When he had finally slept enough, he woke and padded downstairs. On his stoop was four days' worth of newspapers, and he marveled at how long he had been out of it. Going into the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water and fixed himself some bread and jam. The light meal did little to fill the hunger in his belly and he fried up some bacon and eggs. Finally carving a dent in the hunger that gnawed at him, he washed the dishes and then began the long task of getting everything clean. He hadn't used the house in a long time, hadn't been there since he took the Oath with Narcissa.

By the time lunch came around, he had the kitchen clean, and he made a sandwich to eat while he read a chapter from the first book he picked up off the counter. Knowing he had to get some exercise, he ventured outside and walked around the block, taking in how much the neighborhood had changed since he had grown up there. A few older women waved to him as he went along and he waved back.

He was tired by the time he got back to the house and he sat down on the couch, picking up his book and reading more as he gathered his strength again. Getting up, he did some more cleaning, knocking the cobwebs and dust off his book in the living room.

After a light supper, he finished cleaning the ground floor of his home and took stock of the life that stretched before him. Being magical gave him a slightly extended lifespan, so he had to make arrangements for that, live carefully on the money that he had stored in the walls of this place. It wasn't like he could get a job in the Muggle world, he had no credentials, no job history, none of the earmarks of a successful person. Thankfully, the money he had earned during his tenure as a teacher at Hogwarts would last him a number of years.

Still, he had to do something with his life. He couldn't just hole up in this house and rot away. That wasn't who he was. Perhaps there was a way he could continue to do something relating to potions, without getting found out. But to do so, he'd have to purchase an owl. And to do that, he'd have to set foot in Diagon Alley and head to Gringotts. Which led to the very real possibility of him getting found out. It was a chance he was willing to take, though, to keep himself busy.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus took one last look in the mirror and nodded. The low level disguise charm would have to do for now, and as long as he looked nothing like himself, and believed he was this person staring back at him, he would be seen as that person. Picking up his Gringotts key, he slipped it in his pocket and then went out into the kitchen. Instead of making himself a full breakfast, he instead just poured a glass of water from the tap and drank it down.

"It's now or never, Severus," he said lowly before going over to the fireplace and throwing in a pinch of Floo powder. "Diagon Alley."

Moments later, he was stepping out of the fireplace on the other side and looking about at the post-war Diagon Alley. Not much had changed from the last time he had been there, though there were more windows shuttered and barred. Hurrying over to Gringotts, he entered and pulled out his key, taking it up to the first available teller. "Deposit or withdrawal?" the goblin asked, looking at him oddly.

"Withdrawal." Nodding, the goblin led him over to the mine cars. The ride was still just as uncomfortable, though, and he struggled not to grimace as the jostling bothered his still healing wounds. Finally, they came to a stop outside his vault, and he took a deep breath. "Thank you. I shouldn't be more than a few minutes."

Getting out of the car, he wobbled a little, cursing himself for not giving it a little more time before he made this journey. But then, his fingers were itching to brew once more, and somehow that need trumped everything else. Taking careful steps, he entered his vault, looking around at what was left to him.

A tiny smile curled his lips up as he realized that the copies of his most precious potions manuscripts were still neatly lined along one wall. That would prove useful should he have to make any esoteric potions. Bypassing the books for the moment, he went over to the table where his money was stacked neatly. Pulling out a pouch, he filled it with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, not knowing how much he would need to rebuild his potions store.

"Are you ready to go, Sir?" the goblin asked respectfully, and Severus turned to look at him. There was something about his eyes that said he knew his secret, and then he remembered that the disguise charms had no effect on what goblins saw.

"Yes, I am." The goblin nodded and led him back out to the cart. The ride back up was just as wild and he took deep breaths to keep his stomach from rebelling. Once back up top, he strode from the bank and made his way to the apothecary. Deciding to pick up only the basics at the present, he picked up another pewter cauldron and filled it with what he considered to be essential ingredients.

It didn't take him long to have that cauldron, along with a silver one, full of what he considered to be a quarter of what he needed. Knowing that he shouldn't go overboard on this first trip, he headed up to the cashier and settled his bill. "Have a good day, sir!" she cheerfully called after him and he waved slightly to her.

Stepping back out into the warm summer air, he took a deep breath, wincing only slightly as it pulled at his still healing muscles. It felt good to be alive, even if everyone thought he was dead. Maybe it was better this way, he mused. This gave him a clean shot at living a life away from everything that had ever dragged him down. Fate had given him a clean slate, and he had to go for it.

His stomach growled lowly and he sighed, making his way over to the café, not really feeling in the mood for pub fare that morning. Severus made sure to order something that was the complete opposite of what he would have ordered previously, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone who might become suspicious.

When it came, he fought his natural inclination to sneer at the waitress, instead, giving her a small smile. "Thank you." She nodded and scurried off, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Severus recognized that move, he had seen it often enough when Gilderoy had been teaching at Hogwarts. He shook his head and picked up his sandwich, taking a bite. There was no way that he had made himself attractive enough that she would think he was flirting with her over two simple words. The girl was obviously addlepated.

After he had finished eating, he sat and drank tea, thinking about what he was going to do now. He had to come up with an inconspicuous way to sell his potions, and he knew that would be difficult to do. Like all good Potion Masters, he had a signature to his work. It would be hard to mask that, especially since he was so exacting with his work.

By the time he had drank his fifth cup, he was no closer to an answer and he knew the time to loiter was at an end. The girl had not stopped making moon eyes at him the entire time, and much though he wanted to be mean, he still gave her a small nod as he left the café. As the door closed, he swore he heard a high-pitched giggle float out as well.

"That's all that I need," he muttered as he walked down the sidewalk, "some little girl with a crush. I must remember not to use this face any longer." Once more shaking his head, he apparated home and began to put his ingredients away. It didn't take long to organize everything in his cellar, and then he came upstairs and went into the living room, pulling down a thick book to escape into.

Reading brought him no comfort, no relief, and so he stood and stalked outside, deciding to take a walk down the sidewalk. There were a few people out, since it was a nice day, and he nodded to a few of the people that he passed. And then, he heard it. A voice he had not heard in years. Carefully, he followed the sound until he was in front of a familiar home.

"Did you hear anything yet? The weather's cleared, so I know something must have happened, Dudley."

"Mum, you know he and I didn't part on the best of terms. I hardly think we are going to be the first people he'll contact."

Peeking over the hedge, he looked at the woman he had once known, gasping at what time had done to her. She was thin, incredibly so, and her jaw looked as if it could cut glass. Her hair was dark, which suited her coloring more, and shorter than she had kept it in her youth. A pained expression flitted across her face as she nodded in response to her son's words. "I shouldn't have been so proud, so unyielding. If, if you ever see him, though, tell him that I'm sorry."

"Of course I will, Mum. Now, I have to go. Dad's expecting me for dinner."

Severus ducked as the young man, Dudley if he'd heard right, escaped the yard and he hurried quickly home. He was now faced with something that could blow apart his entire plan to remain anonymous. Making a mental note of where her house was on the block, he secured himself behind his door once more, eager to shut out that part of his past.


End file.
